Congressman John D. Dingell

Washington DC - Congressman John D. Dingell joined 12 other members of Congress for a special honor from The National D-Day Museum. Oscar winning actor Tom Hanks presented the Congressman with a medal for his service to the nation during World War II as a part of the 'Salute to the Citizen Soldier' ceremony.

"This is a great honor, not just to be acknowledged, but to be in the company of other patriots who put their lives at risk in the Great War," Dingell said.

Dingell was an Infantryman who entered the military as a Private and was discharged as a Second Lieutenant after serving in the continental United States in the Panama Canal Zone.

The Congressman is particularly gratified that this recognition comes from a generation that did not have the opportunity to serve in World War II, but they have a new appreciation for the forces that defended democracy and freedom.

"It was not just service abroad that made the veterans of World War II 'the greatest generation'. The soldiers who served showed intellect, commitment, passion put those traits to use when they returned from the fighting and made America the greatest nation on the planet."

"There's a feeling out there that Americans have drifted away from all those ideals, but I don't think that is true. We are in a period of intellectual evolution. We are learning and growing as a country, and I think the idealism that empowers that search for a higher calling is a spirit inherited from the veterans of World War II."

The National D-Day Museum is based in New Orleans, Louisiana. Recently, the Museum announced plans to triple its size by 2009.

Related Links:

World War II Memorial Website

World War II Memorial Dedication Website